Chapter 40 – The Overpowered Substitute Paper Figure

The more he cultivated, the more Mu Lin realized that a Qi Refiner’s time was never enough.

In the past, Mu Lin hadn’t understood why legendary cultivators, who could live for hundreds or even thousands of years, would still frequently go into seclusion and constantly engage in arduous cultivation.

Only after truly embarking on cultivation did Mu Lin come to understand their hardship—while Qi Refiners indeed had long lifespans, the things they needed to learn and cultivate were even more numerous.

Take Mu Lin himself as an example: he had three fundamental cultivation methods to practice—the Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art, the Taiyin Life-Nurturing Scripture, and the Mindscape – Sky Burial City. And this was only because the Heart Lamp could progress alongside the Mindscape – Sky Burial City; otherwise, Mu Lin would have had one more cultivation method to practice.

These three cultivation methods were related to Mu Lin’s Three Treasures of Essence and could not be neglected. Yet precisely because of this, Mu Lin spent more than half of each day on them.

However, a Qi Refiner living in the world could not rely solely on fundamental cultivation methods. Thus, in addition to these methods, Mu Lin also needed to cultivate spells.

The Substitute Paper Figure went without saying, but the Paper Figure Curse and the Paper Figure Soul Seal were also essential to learn.

As for advanced spells like Paper Figures Carrying a Coffin and the ritual refinement of the Five Ghosts, Mu Lin wanted to practice those as well.

Then there were Talismans and Arrays, which could also enhance the power of paper figures.

Beyond these spells, Mu Lin also wanted to delve into Paper Crafting, Calligraphy, and Painting to see what transformations they might bring when mastered.

One after another, item by item, Mu Lin wanted to cultivate them all, and each of these things could enhance his abilities.

However, there were too many things he wanted to cultivate, and a person’s energy was ultimately limited. Because of this, during this period, Mu Lin simply had no time to study Talismans or Arrays, and it was foreseeable that he would have no time to learn them for a long while.

He hadn’t even learned the paper figure-related spells, and even Paper Crafting, Painting, and Calligraphy had to be put on hold for a time.

Giving these up was something Mu Lin couldn’t accept, yet continuing to cultivate them all was beyond his energy.

Under normal circumstances, Mu Lin would have to make some choices.

Fortunately, his experiences from his previous life gave him some inspiration.

“If I master the Substitute Paper Figure, could I make it possess abilities similar to a Clone technique?”

“I don’t need thousands or even hundreds of clones—just being able to create three or five temporary clones to help me with cultivation would be enough.”

After careful consideration, Mu Lin felt this was feasible.

“The Substitute Paper Figure is formed from the convergence of my Three Treasures of Essence and shares a mystical connection with me! Since injuries can be transferred through this connection, it’s not impossible for the experience of cultivating mystical arts, or even Mana, to be transferred as well!”

Once he confirmed this, Mu Lin naturally shifted his cultivation focus toward the Substitute Paper Figure.

…

“Slash!”

After deciding to cultivate, Mu Lin took a knife and slashed it toward his own body.

As a proper spell, the Substitute Paper Figure naturally had conventional cultivation methods, such as establishing a connection with the paper figure in the dantian through meditation and gradually deepening that connection.

Unfortunately, while this method was good, its effects were slow. In comparison, directly slashing oneself and transferring the injuries to the paper figure was much simpler and faster.

Of course, slashing himself inevitably caused Mu Lin to get injured.

More importantly, Mu Lin didn’t stop after just one slash. To increase his proficiency as quickly as possible, he had to slash himself dozens, or even hundreds of times each day. That kind of pain was truly not something an ordinary person could endure.

Fortunately, every few cuts, after transferring the injuries to the paper figure, his Proficiency Panel would show a +1 notification.

This visible growth allowed Mu Lin to endure the pain of the blade piercing his own flesh.

Stab stab stab… And so, Mu Lin used the paper cutter to continuously slice or puncture his own body.

Soon, his entire body had been covered in cuts.

  Within his dantian, the paper figure atop the altar was tattered and torn, looking utterly wretched, like a toy ravaged by a mischievous child.

Realizing that the Substitute Paper Figure was nearing its limit, Mu Lin stopped stabbing himself. Instead, he casually reached into his robe and pulled out a lifelike paper figure.

“Hoo…”

As Mu Lin blew a breath, the injuries on the substitute were transferred to the paper figure in his hand.

In the blink of an eye, the paper figure in Mu Lin’s hand became tattered and torn.

Whoosh…

A flash of fire later, the paper figure was burned to ashes, and most of Mu Lin’s injuries were transferred away.

Of course, while the substitute’s injuries were transferred out, this didn’t mean the substitute was unscathed.

If someone could perform internal observation, they would see that Mu Lin’s substitute had become extremely ethereal and riddled with gaps.

Fortunately, as a mana construct, with the replenishment of Taiyin Life-Nurturing Qi, Mu Lin’s substitute gradually transformed from fragmented to whole.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the substitute within Mu Lin’s dantian was restored to its original state.

Then, Mu Lin stabbed himself again, transferring the injuries on his body to the substitute…

Stab stab stab…

Under Mu Lin’s self-mutilation, his body soon became covered in wounds. Fortunately, his gains were even greater.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the proficiency of Mu Lin’s Substitute Paper Figure had skyrocketed by over 180.

“If this continues, my Substitute Paper Figure will level up soon… It’s just a shame that my Taiyin Life-Nurturing Qi is depleted. Without it to replenish, my substitute cannot be repaired. Without repair, this cultivation can only come to an end.”

Sighing with regret, Mu Lin began cultivating the Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art. When his meridians grew weary from circulating the cultivation method, he invoked the Sky Burial Power to descend, confronting the Heart Lamp to temper his will.

During this tempering, Mu Lin also glanced at his Mindscape. He then discovered that, through continuous invocation and refinement, the Sky Burial Power he could command had completely enveloped the longsword.

At this moment, the longsword visualized by Mu Lin was thoroughly stained with mottled bloodstains. Even from a great distance, Mu Lin’s soul spirit could sense an ominous aura emanating from it.

This also gave Mu Lin some anticipation for this longsword of his.

“I wonder how powerful this longsword will be… For my challenge in seven days, I might very well have to rely on you for offense.”

“Wait, not just you!”

Thinking this, Mu Lin looked toward a building in his Mindscape. In the shadows of that building, a figure with a blue face and fangs, resembling a malevolent ghost, stood silently holding a steel fork.

This was—the Yaksha!

Over ten days ago, the Demon-Subduing Warrior Painting Mu Lin had exchanged for contained two types of visualized constructs.

The Yellow Turban Warrior needs no further mention, and the Yaksha besieged by the warriors was something Mu Lin could also visualize.

Upon discovering this, Mu Lin naturally did not let it go to waste. Several days earlier, he had found a spare moment to visualize the Yaksha.

Then, he realized that compared to ordinary weapons like swords, spears, and halberds, as well as the Yellow Turban Warrior, the Yaksha—perceived by others as “evil”—was exceptionally compatible with the Sky Burial Power.

Effortlessly, the two merged into one.

The green-faced, fanged Yaksha was already ferocious and terrifying, but after fusing with the Sky Burial Power, it became even more menacing and ominous. Some mysterious bluish-black patterns appeared on the Yaksha’s body surface, their dark hue lending it an air of brutality and profound mystery.

“If not for the Dominion Heart Lamp, I would never have merged the Sky Burial Power with you.”

(End of Chapter)